He made his first real full set about 2/3 years ago for his son Nicholas. Not sure whether Nicholas uses it but it was with that intention that he made it. I played it but the reg reeds were gone out of the set. He told me "Flynn was down during the week and I gave him the reeds out of it, he’s off abroad on tour ".
He doesn’t make too many full sets from what I can see, however. I know he has sold a few to some American customers. I met one who had just collected a set from Martin about a year ago on the road in a jeep the size of our back field. He nearly blew me off the road, I wondered was he happy or disgusted after picking up the set .
His reeds have that lovely Rowsome sound but are a lot lighter to play and quieter than I’m used to. But what would a stain like me know about it.
P.S I’m not jimmy but I think I have a fair idea who your talkin about
I know a fella over here on the left coast with a few bits and a chanter from Martin. It has been dubbed “The Vagina” because it isn’t too visually pleasing but felt amazing! (no offense to anyone here!!!)
If you only include the folks who are regularly (as opposed to occasionally) taking orders for full sets, the ranks would thin a great deal.
Peter, it was probably me who said Caoimhín “wasn’t Geoff’s apprentice” but I think I followed that with something like “in the usual sense of the word”. I’ve never heard Geoff or Caoimhín use that term to refer to their relationship but if Geoff says it, so be it. However in other fields, apprentices usually work for, or at least “under”, a master for a couple of years, in a shared working environment. Caoimhín always had his own equipment and space AFAIK (probably true apprenticeship is pretty difficult in Ireland given the way the insurance industry here works). But I didn’t mean to imply that Geoff didn’t give guidance at every step of the way on at least the first of Caoimhín’s sets.
The only apprenticeship situations I am aware of in pipemaking as of late, by that narrower definition (working in another maker’s shop, while contributing to the “master’s” business/workshop outpus) would be Andreas’ shop (which has produced a couple of skilled instrument makers), and Seth Gallagher’s shop where at least one understudy/apprentice/assistant learned pipemaking skills.
Then again, that whole way of passing on knowledge and trades is pretty rare these days. It’s nice to have all this e-info floating around, but I do think there’s a good bit of grounding lacking, folks nowadays just have to figure out the subtleties for themselves.
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(no offense to anyone here!!!)
